Aging-machine



(No Model.)

E.'A.RUSD EN. AGING MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 18, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ETHELBERT A. RUSDEN, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

AGING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 565,927, dated August 18, 1896.

Application filed June 20, 1893. Serial No 478,225. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ETHELBERT A. RUsDEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut; have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aging Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

The invention relates to the apparatus used in bleaching, dyeing, drying, or finishing textile fabrics for aging or oxidizing the colors, in which the aging is accomplished by means of a warm vapor; and the object of the invention is to provide a simple and easilycontrolled apparatus of this class so constructed that the gases and vitiated vapors resulting from the treatment of'the fabric will be more completely withdrawn and conducted away, allowing a more perfect action within the apparatus and preventing any disagreeable and unwholesome effect upon the attendants, also any discoloration and injuring of fabrics or goods in the vicinity.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sec tion of the gas exhausting and condensing and absorbing chamber.

In the views, 1 indicates the side, end, and bottom walls of the aging or oxidizing chamber, which are preferably built of cast-iron. The top of the chamber is usually formed of a number of chests 2, which are piped, so that they may be filled with steam and heated to prevent condensation of vapor upon their surfaces. Placed a slight distance apart, with openings between them through the end walls of the chamber, are chests 3, that are usually connected by a pipe 4 with the chests above, so as to be heated by the steam after it has circulated in the top chests.

In the bottom of the oxidizing-chamber and connected with one of the chests 3, so as to be able to obtain steam therefrom, also connected with the live-steam pipe 5, so that steam may be obtained through it, isa tube .6, that has downwardly-opening perforations for the passage of jets of steam or vapor. A false bottom is provided for the chamber, which consists of a flooring of strips 7, that are so laid that there is a narrow opening between them along their edges. This bottom is so located that the steam which is emitted through the perforations of the tube 6 will not be discharged into the chamber in jets, but will be screened and disseminated by the bottom, so as to rise in a vapor between the edges of the strips evenly into all parts of the chamber.

At one end of the machine, with an opening into the oxidizing-chamber, is placed an apparatus adapted to exhaust the chamber, condense the vapors, and absorb the gases which are generated therein by the action of the aging-vapor. In the form shown, this apparatus consists of a tube 8, with an opening into the oxidizing-chamber and an opening into an enlarged condensing, exhausting, and absorbing chamber 9. Opening into this tube 8, near the inlet to the chamber 9, is

provided a conduit 10, which is connected with any suitable source of water supply, by means of which a flow of fluid through the condensing-chamber 9 can be created, and this tube 8 also is provided with a damper or small valve 11, by means of which the flow of vapor from the oxidizing-chamber can be regulated.

Usually within the upper part of the condensing-chamber, at the bottom of the tube 8,

is placed a conical deflector l2, and below this the chamber is somewhat contracted.

The deflector restricts the outlet of the passage through the tube between the oxidizingchamber and the condensing, exhausting, and absorbing chamber, so that the water which passes through the restricted outlet causes a suction in the passage, and the deflector also causes the water to precipitate into the chamber below in an expanded stream. An annular flange is formed on the inner side of the shell of the chamber 9 a short distance below the deflector, and the stream of water from the conduit -10, which is expanded by the deflector, is obliged to pass through this reduced opening at the flanged portion, so that all the vapors that are withdrawn from the oxidizing-chamber are forced to commingle with the water as it falls.

At the bottom of the chamber 9'is placed a siphon 13, and the outlet end of this siphon is adapted to be connected with a pipe that leads to any drain or sewer. By the use of the siphon a body of water is retained at the bottom. of the condensing-chamber, and this forms a seal which prevents the gases from being drawn backward out of the drain when the vacuum is formed in the chamber 9 by the condensation of the vapors.

In the interior of the oxidizing-chamber are a number of rollers 14, usually copper. The fabric to be treated, which has been padded, printed, or otherwise filled with or laid with the proper chemicals for bleaching, dyeing, or setting the colors, is passed into the oxidizing-chamber between the entrance steamchests and up and down over and around the rollers, during which time it is subjected to the action of the vapor that rises from the tube at the bottom of the chamber. Then the fabric passes out between the exit steamchests and is wound or folded by any common mechanism.

During the treatment of the fabric the action of the vapor upon the chemicals within the oxidizing-chamber produces many noxious and unwholesome gases, and to remove this and the vitiated atmosphere in the chamber, so as to permit a renewed oxidation, a current of water is allowed to flow through the condensing-chamber. This chamber is so constructed that a slight vacuum is produced, and this draws the undesirable vapor and at mosphere from the oxidizing-chamber into the conden sin g-chamber,where the water condenses the vapors and absorbs the gases and conducts them away to the drain or sewer. The flow of water through the condensingchamber not only by means of the vacuum withdraws the noxious gases generated within the chamber, but also freely absorbs and condenses the gases, particularly chlorin, and conducts these gases away, so that they cannot discolor other fabrics or goods in the Vicinity or injuriously affect the health or comfort of the attendants of the machine. This complete absorption of the undesirable gases and vapors also permits a more perfect oxidation to take place in the chamber, which results in abetter aging of the fabrics treated.

I claim as my invention- In an aging-machine, in combination, an oxidizing-chamber with an entrance and an exit for the passage of the fabric, a vapor-disseminating tube within the chamber and adapted to be connected with a supply of heated vapor without the Cl12tII1b61,2L tube connected with and opening into the oxidizingchamber, an exhausting, condensing and absorbin g drum larger in diameter than the tube from the oxidizing-chamber and connected therewith, a pipe leading from a source of Water supply and terminatin gin the tube between the oxidizin g-chamber and the exhausting, condensing and absorbing drum,said tube having a reduced outlet between the end of the water-pipe and the exhausting, condensing and absorbing drum, a water seal located at the lower end of the exhausting, condensing and absorbing drum, and a conduit leading from the Water seal to a drain, substantially as specified.

ETHELBERT A. RUSDEN. Witnesses:

H. R. WILLIAMs, J. J. JoHNsToNE. 

